Almost Heaven
A Visual History of Tawonga at 100
In honor of Camp Tawonga’s centennial, we invite you to explore “Almost Heaven: A Visual History of Tawonga at 100.” This immersive and dynamic digital book traces the story of Camp from its early origins in the 1920s to its modern history on the banks of the Tuolumne River.
Scroll Through the Story of Camp Tawonga
About the Project
Almost Heaven: A Visual History of Tawonga’s 100 Years was researched, written, designed, and produced by historian and Tawonga board member Paul Herman.
Lisa Wertheim, Tawonga’s former chief development officer, championed the project from its beginning and conducted hours of oral-history interviews that were essential to telling Tawonga’s history from the 1960s onward. Casey Cohen, Tawonga’s senior director of communications, served as the project’s staff lead, managing its development and providing editorial guidance throughout. Natalie Jenkins, communications specialist, provided editorial and promotional support. Barrie Zipkin, longtime Tawongan, served as copy editor.
Many Tawongans contributed photographs, documents, memories, and corrections. Their generosity made this history possible. Any errors that remain are the author’s.
Our hope is that Tawongans of all generations can see their camp experience reflected back to them through this visual narrative while also taking in the breadth of the organization’s rich history.
Even though the project is complete, you can still visit this page to share memories and to see other community entries.
We hope that future generations of campers and leaders will visit this living history as a reminder of what roots us all together as Tawongans.
Visual History Committee
We are deeply grateful to the dedicated team of volunteers and professional staff who have brought this project to life so that Tawongans of all ages can enjoy our beautiful shared history in perpetuity:
Paul Herman, Tawonga Board Member
Lisa Wertheim, Former Tawonga Chief Development Officer
Casey Cohen, Senior Director, Communications
Natalie Jenkins, Communications Specialist
Barrie Zipkin, Editorial Support
Centennial Video
Marking our centennial also included the creation of a tribute video celebrating our rich history and looking ahead to our vibrant future. Directors and Board Members serving in the 1960s and 1970s graciously took part in this project. Each of them widens the lens, bringing new insight to Tawonga’s extraordinary story and impact. Enjoy seeing the magic of Tawonga across the decades.
The Early Years
Enjoy this video spotlighting Tawonga’s early days. For more about the history of the land, take a look at our land essay.
Questions?
Have thoughts or questions about Tawonga’s history or our Visual History project? Feel free to reach out to Senior Director of Communications, Casey Cohen at [email protected].
